On October 3, 2016, Judson College’s Beta Rho chapter of Kappa Delta Epsilon, the honorary professional education fraternity, initiated four new students into its ranks: Brittany Johnson, Leslie Anne Pope, Leslie McAfee, and Veronika Gerhold.
At Judson, a student is invited to join KDE after she has met the necessary requirements of being in the Educator Preparation Program, maintaining a 3.0 GPA, and completing a minimum of 30 hours of coursework. Faculty members can also join KDE.
KDE was founded in 1933 in Washington, D.C., and Judson’s Beta Rho chapter was founded in 1982. The advisors for the chapter are Dr. Robert Metty and Dr. Lesley Sheek, who is also the National Vice-President of KDE.
Dr. Sheek elatedly welcomed the new members, explaining that “having teacher candidates become KDE members is especially significant because the organization is unique in that it spans a teacher’s entire career. The membership of KDE includes preservice teachers, practicing teachers, and retired teachers . . . . We welcome our new members into the KDE ‘circle of well-trained teachers’ and look forward to serving alongside them for years to come.”
The current KDE members and the new initiates all look forward to what KDE and the teaching career has in store for them. “KDE is all about being apart of a group of people who have the same interest in the world as you,” senior initiate Veronika Gerhold explained. “We all have one thing in common: We want to change the world by shaping the next generation of leaders.”